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Nomination process for second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka begins today

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Bengaluru: The nomination process for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka begins today, with the notification for the election of 14 constituencies set to be released on Friday.

In Kalaburagi reserve constituency, Congress’s Radhakrishna Doddamani is expected to file nomination papers on the first day, with AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, and others in attendance. E. Tukaram will also file his nomination in the Bellary reserved constituency on Friday.

Prominent candidates in the second phase include former CMs Jagdish Shettar in Belagavi, Basavaraj Bommai in Haveri Constituency, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in Dharwad Constituency, all representing the BJP.

Voting in the second phase will be held in constituencies such as Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Kalyana, and Kittur. The BJP-JDS alliance has shared constituencies, with no constituencies ceded to JDS in the second phase, leading to direct competition between Congress and BJP in all 14 constituencies. However, there is a possibility of a three-way contest if candidates who have shown rebellion in four constituencies file their nomination papers.

The ruling Congress in the state and the ruling BJP at the centre consider this election a matter of prestige, especially in constituencies like Shivaogga and Dharwad for BJP, and Bagalkote and Davangere for Congress.

Phase 2 Constituencies:

Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere, and Shivamogga.

Rlection Schedule:

– April 12 – Notification
– April 19 – Last day for submission of nomination papers
– April 20 – Scrutiny of nomination papers
– April 22 – Last day to withdraw nomination papers
– May 7 – Voting
– June 4 – Counting of votes

Surpur By-election:

The notification for the by-election of Surpura ST reserved constituency will also be released on Friday (A.12), with the General Election 2nd phase schedule in the state applicable for this by-election.

Court reserves order on CBI’s plea seeking custody of Kavitha

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Excise scam: Court reserves order on CBI's plea seeking custody of Kavitha

New Delhi: A court here on Friday reserved for later in the day its order on the CBI’s plea seeking five-day custody of BRS leader K Kavitha, arrested in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao was held in Tihar Jail, where she has been lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja reserved the order after hearing arguments by the CBI as well as the counsel appearing for Kavitha on the application.

The CBI told the court that Kavitha was not cooperating in the investigation and was evasive in her replies.

Advocate Nitesh Rana, counsel for the accused, opposed the CBI’s plea, terming the arrest as illegal.He further accused the probe agency of violating Kavitha’s fundamental rights.

CBI officials had recently questioned Kavitha inside prison after obtaining permission from a special court.

The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15.

Israel’s Netanyahu vows to carry out Rafah invasion and declares ‘There is a date’

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Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, declaring: “There is a date.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel must send ground forces into Rafah, saying it is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. But the international community, including the U.S., opposes the operation, saying the roughly 1.4 million civilians seeking shelter there will be in danger.

Israel has insisted it has a plan to protect the civilians.

In a video statement Monday, Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for victory.

“It will happen. There is a date,” he said, without elaborating.

He spoke as Israeli negotiators were in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas.

Missing Indian student found dead in US

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Missing Indian student found dead in US

New York: A 25-year-old Indian student who had been missing since last month was found dead in the US city of Cleveland, the second death within a week as the community grapples with a string of such tragedies.

Mohammad Abdul Arfath, hailing from Nacharam, Hyderabad, arrived in the US last year in May to pursue a Masters in IT from Cleveland University.

“Anguished to learn that Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio,” the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X.

Offering “deepest condolences” to Arfath’s family, the Consulate said it is in touch with local agencies to ensure a thorough investigation into his death.

“We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to transport his mortal remains to India,” the Consulate added.

Last month, the Consulate said that it was working with local law enforcement authorities to locate the Indian student.

Arfath’s father Mohammed Saleem had said that Arfath last spoke to him on March 7, and since then he has not been in touch with his family. His mobile phone is switched off as well.

“We are working with local law enforcement agencies to find him at the earliest,” the Consulate had said.

Arfath’s roommates in the US had informed his father that they lodged a missing persons complaint with Cleveland Police. However, on March 19, Arfath’s family received a call from an unidentified person, who claimed that Arfath had been kidnapped allegedly by a gang selling drugs and demanded USD 1,200 to “release” him.

The caller also threatened to sell Arfath’s kidneys if the ransom wasn’t paid, his father said.

“I got a call from an unknown number, and the caller informed me that my son had been kidnapped and demanded money. The caller did not mention the mode of payment but just asked to pay the amount. When I asked the caller to allow us to talk to my son, he refused,” Saleem told PTI in Hyderabad.

Arfath’s parents have requested the Central government to take necessary measures to locate and bring back their son safely. Saleem has also written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The incident is the latest in a string of troubling cases pertaining to the safety and security of Indian students in the US.

Last week, an Indian student in Ohio, Uma Satya Sai Gadde, died and police are investigating the case.

Humanitarian crisis caused by Israel-Hamas conflict unacceptable: Indian Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj

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United Nations: India termed the UN Security Council resolution that demanded immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan a “positive step,” asserting that the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is “simply unacceptable.”

“We are deeply troubled by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The humanitarian crisis has deepened and instability has been increasing in the region and beyond,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, told a UN General Assembly meeting here Monday.

She said India views the adoption of a resolution on March 25 by the UN Security Council “as a positive step.”

Kamboj said the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children.

“The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable,” she said, adding that Delhi has strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict and it is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation.

The UNSC resolution, adopted last month, demanded an “immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire.”

It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as the humanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs. The adoption of the resolution had come as a breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas conflict which had been on for more than five months then.

The 15-nation Council adopted the resolution, put forth by the 10 non-permanent elected members of the Council, with 14 nations voting in favour, none against, and an abstention by the US, a permanent member.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had said that the “long-awaited” resolution on Gaza must be implemented. “Failure would be unforgivable.”

However, on March 22, just three days before the Council adopted the resolution, permanent members Russia and China vetoed a different resolution on Gaza tabled by the US. The US-led draft had stated the “imperative” for “an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides.”

The veto by Beijing and Moscow triggered the debate in the General Assembly under the requirement that the President of the 193-member UN body will convene a meeting within 10 working days whenever a veto is cast in the Council.

Kamboj underlined that India’s position on the conflict has been clearly articulated on several occasions by the country’s leadership.

She said there can be no justification for terror attacks or hostage taking and stressed that the terror attacks on Israel on October 7 last year were shocking and deserve “our unequivocal condemnation.”

“India has a long-standing and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Kamboj said.

India voiced its concern over the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza and underlined the imperative for the scaling up of humanitarian aid to the people in the strip immediately in order to avert a further deterioration in the situation.

Kamboj welcomed efforts of the United Nations and the international community in working towards peace in the region.

She noted that India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and “will continue to do so.”

Indian leaders have repeatedly emphasised that only a two-state solution achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues will deliver an enduring peace.

“We are committed to supporting a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders with due regard to the security needs of Israel,” Kamboj said and urged all parties to foster conditions conducive to resuming direct peace negotiations at an early date.

Citing the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that in the six months between October 7, 2023 and the afternoon of April 8, at least 33,207 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 75,933 injured.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, fatalities include about 14,500 children and 9,560 women.

More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 33 children, have been killed in Israel, the vast majority on October 7 last year, when Hamas carried out the shocking attacks against Israel.

President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis expressed deep regret that the General Assembly must routinely meet on the veto initiative “due to the perennial inability of the Security Council to speak with one voice on matters of grave importance.”

“Once again, we convene under this initiative as conflict in Gaza rages into its sixth bloody month, as death and destruction rule the day, and as divisions among Member States, especially in the Council, persist,” he said.

Francis described the conflict in Gaza as “blight on our common humanity.”

With Ramadan ending on April 9, Francis said millions around the world will celebrate the religious holiday Eid-al-Fitr in the safety of their homes “while Gazans will again offer prayers on the ruins of mosques and their obliterated homes.”

“I implore the Security Council members to meaningfully use their power in support of an immediate – and importantly, a lasting ceasefire on the ground,” he said.

Man with gun goes close to CM Siddaramaiah garlands minister during election campaign

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Bengaluru: A gun-wielding man on Monday went close to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while he was on an open vehicle here, and garlanded Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy standing next to him.

The incident happened at Bhairasandra in the city when Siddaramaiah was campaigning for Reddy’s daughter and Congress’ Lok Sabha candidate Sowmya Reddy.

The man, whom police identified as Riyaz, suddenly climbed on the vehicle with a gun fastened to his waist.

Raising slogans in support of Congress, Riyaz garlanded Reddy, his daughter Sowmya and others.

As he was getting down from the vehicle, Siddaramaiah and others on the vehicle noticed the gun.

Police said Riyaz has been carrying a gun since a murderous assault on him a few years ago, and he has been exempted from surrendering his gun.

In a post on the microblogging site ‘X’, the BJP targeted the chief minister, saying this proves that “those who garland” Siddaramaiah are hooligans, rowdies, street thugs.

“Gun-wielding rowdies, who used to be seen in the birthday posters, are now posing in front of the society with guns and garlands the CM and deputy chief minister in the rallies. Although the election code of conduct is in force, they are carrying guns and demonstrating like this to intimidate the voters in the area,” the party said.

Woman paraded semi-naked in Punjab’s Tarn Taran: HC compares incident to chirharan of Draupadi

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Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday took suo-motu notice of an incident in which a woman was allegedly assaulted and paraded semi-naked by her son’s in-laws in Tarn Taran and said it reminded of the “chirharan of Draupadi’ at the behest of the Kauravas in Mahabharat.

The 55-year-old woman was assaulted and paraded semi-naked in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district allegedly by her son’s in-laws, after he eloped with a woman and married her against the wishes of her family.

The incident occurred in a village on March 31, a few days after the victim’s son eloped with the woman and married her, police had said.

Justice Sanjay Vashisth took suo-motu (on its own) cognisance of the “barbaric and shameful incident” through media reports and decided to treat the matter as public interest litigation.

Justice Vashisth is also the administrative judge of the Tarn Taran sessions division.

The matter was subsequently placed before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji, which issued a notice of motion to the Punjab government.

“I am reminded of the historical event that had taken place during the Mahabharat era, that is, the chirharan of Draupdi at the behest of the Kauravas and the silence of the Pandavas, including Bhishma Pitamah, which ultimately resulted in bloodshed of thousands of people in the Mahabharat war.

“After centuries thereafter, an ordinary common man does not expect even today that the ‘nyay pranali’ (judicial system) would be a mute spectator to such incidents, happening sinfully and openly under the nose of the administration,” Justice Vashisth observed.

“Being the administrative judge of the Tarn Taran sessions division, I am of the considered opinion that cognisance of this incident is required to be taken suo-motu on the judicial side, because the high court cannot be a mute spectator to such incidents, where the respect and modesty of a lady is outraged openly, and despite taking required steps, police and the other authorities concerned show or adopt a lackluster attitude and do not initiate prompt action,” the judge said.

Police had said four people were arrested in connection with the incident.

According to the complaint filed by the victim, she was alone at home when her son’s in-laws allegedly assaulted her and tore her clothes off.

They paraded her in the village in a semi-naked condition, the victim alleged.

A video purported showing the victim being paraded in the village surfaced on social media on Friday.

Kulwinder Kaur Mani, the mother of the victim’s daughter-in-law, her brothers Sharanjit Singh Shanni and Gurcharan Singh, and family friend Sunny Singh have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on April 3 under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 354D (stalking), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 149 (unlawful assembly).

Pune university student beaten up over love jihad claim cops varsity launch probe

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Pune: A 19-year-old Muslim student of a university in Maharashtra’s Pune city has been allegedly beaten up by five unidentified persons who accused him of engaging in “love jihad”, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon when the male student was accompanying two female students on the campus of the state-run Savitribai Phule Pune University, an official from Chatushringi police station said.

The police have registered a case against unidentified persons and are trying to identify the culprits, he said.

The university authorities said they have set up a committee for a probe into the incident.

‘Love jihad’ is a term used by right-wing activists and outfits to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage.

The male student, along with the two female friends, was returning after having a meal when four-five unidentified persons on motorbikes approached them on the university campus, the official said.

They started questioning the student and asked him to show his Aadhaar card.

In his complaint, the student alleged that after seeing his name on the identity card, one of the persons asked whether he had come to the university to engage in “love jihad” and assaulted him and a Hindu male friend who was also present there, the police said.

“We have registered a complaint against unidentified persons under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and efforts are underway to trace them with the help of CCTV footage,” the official said.

The complainant is a student of a skill development course in the university, he added.

The university’s registrar, Vijay Khare, said they have formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident and asked security personnel deployed in the institution to ensure such incidents of students being threatened by anti-social elements do not recur.

TMC leaders stage overnight dharna at Delhi’s Mandir Marg police station

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New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders who were detained by Delhi Police while staging a dharna outside the Election Commission’s office continued their protest at the Mandir Marg police station on Tuesday morning.

A 10-member TMC delegation met the full bench of the EC on Monday and demanded that the heads of the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency and Income Tax department be changed as they were allegedly acting at the behest of the ruling BJP.

The TMC leaders later announced they were sitting on a 24-hour dharna outside the EC office. The delegation comprised Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale, Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas and TMC West Bengal students’ wing vice-president Sudip Raha.

The leaders were later detained by Delhi Police and forcefully evicted from the site.

Police said they released the TMC leaders on Monday night. However, the leaders stayed put at the police station through the night and continued their dharna.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls at the behest of the BJP-led central government.

MS Dhoni told me to be ready for CSK captaincy in 2022: Ruturaj Gaikwad

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Chennai: The charismatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni told Ruturaj Gaikwad to be prepared for Chennai Super Kings captaincy back in 2022 and he has been ready ever since even though there were no “deep conversations” between the two on how to lead one of the most successful IPL units.

Gaikwad, who led from the front in the win against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday night, was stunningly appointed CSK captain a day before the IPL opener on March 22.

The team’s earlier leadership experiment with Ravindra Jadeja did not work but the CSK think-tank has been bullish about Gaikwad’s long-term reign. Dhoni is known for his no nonsense approach and that is how he discussed the transition with Gaikwad.

“To be honest, not really deep conversations. I feel it was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation I would say. Just we were practicing and he came and told me all this stuff,” Gaikwad said in the post-match press conference after the seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders here on Monday.

“Obviously, everyone, others on the outside, would think they are big shoes to fill, but I feel I would always be myself and I would like to continue the culture that has been going on.

“I remember in 2022 when he told me, ‘Probably not next year, but after that, you might get a chance to lead, so be ready for it’. So, obviously after that, I was always ready for it,” said the opener.

A franchise like CSK is quite meticulous with its planning and that is why head coach Stephen Fleming was discussing field and bowling changes with Gaikwad last year.

“It was nothing new to me or a surprise or a shock. I know how to control the game. I know how the game progresses, which change (to make), and what to do when, as I was doing for the state team (Maharashtra) as well.

“Even last year, Fleming and I used to discuss captaincy after every game, about how I felt, what changes, bowling changes what I felt we needed to do, this or that. Every game, we had one-on-one conversations so that really helped.”

When asked what change had he brought in as skipper, Gaikwad asserted that he believes in continuity.

“Captaincy-wise, I don’t want to be a specific kind of character. Just let things flow and keep the culture of CSK going. The success that we had and the things we have been doing, I don’t want to change a single bit of it.

“I just want to come here, make my own decisions and just give as much freedom as possible because that’s what has been happening from when I joined CSK. Nothing really changes and I’m enjoying a lot.”

Gaikwad’s batting as the skipper this season has not been at his usual best but he made an unbeaten 67 against KKR.

When asked if captaincy had compelled him to make some changes to his batting, he said, “Sometimes there are phases where you get good balls. Sometimes there are phases where you are slightly unlucky. Sometimes there are phases where things don’t really fall in shape.

“So, you don’t really need to think on that. I always felt I was in good shape, starting really well, good headspace, so I wasn’t really worried.

“And captaincy, while batting, is a totally different approach. Even when I was playing my first game, or the first fifty I scored for CSK, I think (it was a) similar kind of situation.

“We were chasing 140 and I always wanted to stay till the end and make sure I finish the innings so pretty much same. Nothing really changes even though I am captain or not,” he said referring to the 138-run target set by KKR.

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